Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Waiver Wire Lineup

With the success of my pitching version of Waiver Wire help, I felt compelled to publish a hitting piece.

Looking for a little something extra in your daily or weekly lineups? The guy you need just might be sitting on the waiver wire in your league. With the trade deadline having passed in most leagues, the wire waiver is your only option for help at this point of the season.

Time to get rid of some bigger names who aren't producing in favor of some less-owned players who will give you results.

The fantasy playoffs are approaching rapidly, and if your team is on the verge of making the postseason then you might want to give these 6 guys a second look.

1) Rajai Davis-A's

Since being promoted to an everyday player on a struggling Oakland team, Davis has done nothing but put up fantasy-worthy numbers.

His speed threat alone makes him roster worthy is most formats, but especially in roto leagues where you are lacking in steals.

Rajai won't blow you away with the power numbers, but his 27 steals and .289 average are nothing to laugh at, especially if you are trying to make up ground in those categories. His 39 runs scored won't hurt your cause either.

Davis is owned in only 26.2 percent of ESPN leagues, so he is available to help your team if you need his services.

2) Mike Lowell-Red Sox

Lowell has always been a great hitter in his career, and this year has been no exception to that trend.

Lowell has really picked up his game of late, and has two HR and six RBI in the past week. In a Red Sox line-up that seems to be finding its stride, the RBI opportunities should continue to present themselves for Lowell.

He is hitting .302 with 16 HR and 65 RBI on the season. Those are pretty solid stats across the board. Why not use him at this point, even if it's just as a fill in? With guys like Pablo Sandoval DTD with minor injuries, you can plug Lowell in for a few days and make up for the lost production.

Lowell is owned in 61.2 percent of ESPN leagues, so he is still out there in a good chunk of leagues. I'm by no means saying to drop your regular 3B if they have produced for you all year, but only to utilize Lowell as a fill-in while your guy is out for a few days.

3) Travis Snider-Blue Jays

With the loss of Alex Rios to the White Sox, the young Snider has been entrenched into an everyday role for Toronto.

Since being called up on August 18th, Snider has gone deep three times in his first nine games as a big league starter. The most impressive part to me is that those 9 games have been against the Red Sox, Angels and Rays, all of which are postseason contenders.

If you are looking for a power surge or a temporary OF fill-in, Snider might be the guy to fill that void for you. No guarantee that the power will continue, but I see no reason why the AB's should decline at this point.

Snider is owned in only 8.8 percent of ESPN leagues, and classifies as a deep flier with huge upside. Why not take a chance that the upside will pull through for the rest of the year?

4) Josh Willingham-Nationals

Willingham had a torrid month of July, which prompted a large increase in his ownership. He has since cooled off some, but looks poised to go on another streak.

What makes me say that? Try a 4-4 performance with two HR and six RBI on Tuesday.

Willingham is hitting .301 with 21 HR and 56 RBI on the season, yet he is only owned in 32.7 percent of ESPN leagues.

If you are in need of OF help and power production, take a chance that Willingham goes on another tear. If you wait until it happens he might not still be sitting there.

5) Andrew McCutchen-Pirates

The Pirates have traded away every good player this season, or at least it seems that way sometimes. Well, that statement is not completely true.

Andrew McCutchen is a rising star, and one of the only bright spots on an otherwise dim team at this point.

McCutchen's biggest asset is his speed, but he will flash the occasional pop that is just icing on the cake. Since being given the green light to steal whenever he likes, McCutchen has been running more often.

He has stolen 15 bases this year in 16 attempts. Since August 11th, around the time he was given the green light, Andrew has six SB. His .287 average, eight HR, 38 RBI and 50 runs scored are all helpful stats as well.

Andrew is owned in 42.7 percent of ESPN leagues, but his overall numbers suggest that he should be owned in more. If you are a victim of underachieving big-name OF's, why not give the future star a chance to bolster your categories?

6) Gordon Beckham-White Sox

The White Sox are postseason contenders, and Beckham's play, both offensively and defensively, is one of the reasons why.

Beckham is eligible at 3B and SS, and his numbers make him roster worthy in all formats in my opinion.

Beckham is hitting .284 with eight HR and 47 RBI. He has also added 38 runs and five SB. Keep in mind that he hasn't been in the big leagues all season either.

Gordon is owned in 47.9 percent of ESPN leagues. Surely some teams on the verge of the postseason could slot the youngster into the 2B/SS hole in your lineup.

These guys aren't the only jewels sitting on the waiver wire, but they are six players that caught my eye. If you are struggling to make up ground in your league with some big name underachievers, maybe giving these guys a go could solve your problems.